As the U.S. seeks new renewable energy sources, biomass is often the cheapest and most readily available energy feedstock. The demand for biomass resources for bioenergy production will increase.
- Bioenergy will be the fastest growing source of electricity in the U.S. over the next 25 years, growing from 1% to 5.5% of electricity produced in the U.S. by 2035, without any policy interventions. New energy or climate policies could drive the percent of energy from biomass much higher.
- Biofuels are projected to account for 60% of the projected growth in total U.S. liquid fuel consumption by 2035.
- Demand for wood biomass will grow by 38 million green tons in the next four years. That’s the equivalent of adding 20 to 30 new paper mills.
- Southern states are expected to see a 35% increase in wood bioenergy facilities. Demand for wood biomass could increase 75% in the South alone.
The upside to bioenergy production
Creation of new bioenergy markets could improve sustainability of farms and forests, under appropriate conditions. New markets for biomass resources could:
- Improve management: Bioenergy markets could fund ecological restoration, improved forest management, and insect and disease control.
- Improve economics: New markets for landowners could create new incentives to keep forests as forests and encourage farmers to plant less nutrient-intensive crops.
The tough questions
The development of new biomass markets is an important, complex process that cannot be left to chance. Consider these challenges:
- Most working lands are currently in use, and most biomass resources already are being used for economic and ecological benefits.
- Bioenergy markets could improve land management – or could intensify management across broad swaths of the landscape, resulting in net carbon emissions, less wildlife, reduced water quality and loss of important natural communities.
- While new markets offer job creation, shifting biomass from existing markets to new uses could potentially push existing users out of business, resulting in a net loss of jobs. The pulp and paper industry, for example, provides high-paying wages in many rural communities; jobs that could be impacted by new bioenergy facilities.
- Even low levels of bioenergy production could significantly impact farms and forests.